Oil-pump trunk



6. R. McDONALD. OIL PUMP TRUNK. APPLICAHON nuru nic.a. ms.

1 348, 504. aten ed Aug. 3, 1920..

INVENTDR Geog emmmfl BY /6l I ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OIL-PUMP TRUNK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 3, 1918. Serial No. 285,166.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon R. MoDoN- ALD, citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda, State of California, have invented a new and useful Oil-Pump Trunk, of which the following is a specification in such full and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the same.

This invention relates to an oil pump trunk and its object is to provide means whereby oil, heavy asphaltum or other viscous fluid may be removed from a tank, car or other receptacle in which it is placed, in a minimum time with the minimum loss of heat.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art, that to remove heavy oil or asphaltum from a tank, car or other receptacle in which it is placed, that it is necessary to heat the oil or asphaltum before it can be pumped out. Such tanks are provided with heating coils at the bottom; while in order to remove all of the oil, asphaltum or other viscous liquid from the receptacle, it is necessary for the pump suction pipe to open into the receptacle at the bottom thereof.

When the oil, asphaltum or other viscous fluid is being heated, the heated oil will pass to the top of the body of liquid, and without special apparatus, it is necessary to heat the entire tank to the desired temperature before it is possible to operate the pump effectively.

In the present instance, the trunk is intended to provide means whereby the top layer of oil, asphaltum or other viscous fluid may be removed from the receptacle as fast as it is heated, thereby preventing the loss of much heat and reducing the length of time necessary to remove the oil from the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a smaller compartment in the oil receptacle which will confine the convection currents of heated oil to a smaller area thereby giving a greater depth of heated oil adjacent the pump trunk, the oil supply being continually replenished from the main body of oil through spaces provided between the receptacle and the partition adjacent the trunk, and the heat loss by radiation is less as well.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but I am aware that there may be modifications thereof.

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a tank having this trunk installed therein, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tank and trunk.

The numeral 1 indicates the tank or other receptacle in which the li uid to be moved is stored. This receptacle has a discharge pipe 2 leading to a suitable pump forming no part of the present invention. Within the receptacle, there is a wall 3 which cuts off the main body of liquid from the part it is desired to heat forming a chamber for the heating of the oil and in which chamber the trunk 4 is installed.

The trunk 4 is of such size as may be found convenient or necessary for the given pumping plant, and it has a plurality of pivotally mounted gates 5, which gates form one side of the trunk to the top of the oil receptacle. These gates which have a recess 6 are provided with suitable packing 7 so that they will make a moderately tight joint with a ridge on the back of the hinged rod of said gates as indicated at 9. Each gate has an arm carrying a float 10. The floats of the adjacent gates being placed in the position shown in Fig. 2 in order to prevent one float from interfering with the action of the float carried by the gate next below. All of the floats have chains 11 connected thereto, which chains are connected to a rod 12. This rod may be lifted to prevent the floats from being continually swung to and fro, as would be likely to occur with a ship at sea. Said rod is lowered when the oil is to be withdrawn from the receptacle to permit the floats to work normally.

Extending down through the trunk is a steam heating pipe 13, Wl'llCll pipe has a coil 14 in the compartment formed by the partition 3 and the end of the tank 1, the object being to heat as small a quantity of oil as possible adjacent the trunk, and the pipe 13 will cause the oil in the trunk to be sufficiently heated within a ver short time after the application of steam t ereto.

In operation, the steam is applied to the pipe 13 and coil 14 and as fast as a sufiicient quantity of heated oil accumulates at the top of the trunk, it may be pumped oil", and as the level of oil in the tank or receptacle is Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

lowered, the floats ll) ai'itoinatically open the gates I in succession from the top, thereby always causing heated oil. to be taken into lhe pumping apparatus.

[laying thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows, express reservation being made of permissible modifications 1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a receptacle, a pumping trunk therein, a heating pipe in the receptacle, and movable gates on the side of the trunk whereby the material delivered to the pump by the trunk will always be taken from the upper layers of the fluid in the receptacle.

2. In an apparatus of the class described. a receptacle, a pumping trunk in the recep lacle, and a plurality of float operated gates for said trunk whereby the material pumped from the receptacle will always be taken from the upper layers of the fluid therein.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising a receptacle, a pumping trunk therein, a series of swinging gates in said trunk, and a float for operating each gate whereby the gates will be successively opened from the top of the trunk as the lluid is pumped from the receptacle.

l'. An apparatus of the class described comprising a receptacle, a trunk therein, a plurality of heating pipes in the receptacle one of which extends through the trunk, a plurality of gates forming one side of the trunk, and a series of floats for the operation of said gates whereby the gates will be opened successively as the height of the fluid in the trunk is lowered.

5. An apparatus of the class described comprising a receptacle, a partition in the receptacle to confine the heated fluid to one portion of the receptacle, a pumping trunk, and a plurality of closures for said trunk adapted to be opened successively from the top as the height of the liquid in the re ceptacle is reduced.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of November, A. 1.)

GEORGE R. McDONALD. 

